Consequences
by jadenanne
Summary: Marriage law with a twist. Hermione still does not know that her professor is a spy for the order when she agrees to marry him. What will she say when she finds out?
1. Damn Timeturner

Hermione Granger had never been one to measure her life in days or years. She was more prone to measure her life in inches of parchment, or cups of boomslang skin that she was forever stealing to aide Harry in one of his quests to save their world… but never had she had the inclination to sit back and think about her days on the earth. However, on January 27, 2008, Hermione Granger was definitely counting her years.

_Hermione Granger_

_Dear Mrs. Granger,_

_The Ministry of Magic is pleased to inform you that due to recent multiple uses of a time turner, you are currently of age to participate in our newly instated marriage law. The rising number of squibs born into the wizarding community has put our world into a precarious position, and immediate action is required if we are to preserve the magic we hold dear. We require your hasty marriage to a purebred or a half-blood wizard of your choice, to help us in this endeavor. Within the week you should begin to receive petitions for your hand from suitable bachelors. A decision must be made within the month, or the choice will regrettably be taken out of your hands. The Ministry will be waiting for your decision._

_Cornelius Fudge_

Yes, the Ministry had given her a choice. And just as quickly, the Order had taken it away.

"I'll do it. I'll marry her. She can live here at Grimmauld Place with me and…" Albus Dumbledore cut off Sirius Black with a wave of his hand. "And nothing… seeing as you are supposed to be dead".

Remus Lupin ran his hands worriedly through his graying hair. "I would marry her in a heartbeat but I think she would probably be safer with someone who didn't turn into an animal every month."

"A heartbeat, Remus? A heartbeat? You won't propose to me, but you would marry that LITTLE GIRL in a heartbeat?" Tonks voice rose until it cracked. Remus visibly winced.

"A figure of speech, Nymphadora." Dumbledore's voice stilled Tonks before she had time to continue her tirade against her erring lover. "Thank you, Remus, for your concern but you changing once a month would leave her vulnerable to attacks and that would be against the point. Now we have come together tonight to find a solution to Mrs. Granger's problem and we cannot leave until we have found one. She has received owls already from Lucius Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and numerous other known death eaters. To marry any of these men would be suicide. She must find a husband that can protect her and protect himself, for death eaters will murder to get to Harry Potters best friend. I have no doubt that Voldemort is somehow responsible for this insane law… this is undoubtedly proof that he has infiltrated the Ministry of Magic. The end is near. We need to band together now more than ever. That includes taking care of our students affected by this law. Now… any more suggestions?"

Molly Weasley was quick to throw in her son's names into the mix, but the suggestion was not met with enthusiasm.

Dumbledore attempted to soothe her bruised ego. "Molly, I'm sure that any one of your boys would be a wonderful husband to Hermione, but she needs someone who can protect her against dark wizards and can hold their own against types like Lucius Malfoy. I cannot forfeit the safety of your sons, Molly. And if you stop to think about it, neither can you."

Molly contemplated this for a moment and turned to Hermione. "I wish I could help you, love, but…."

Hermione cut her off with a small smile." I completely understand. And I would have loved to have been your daughter. But you are right. None of your sons can give me what I need. I'm beginning to wonder if there is anyone who can."

"You are quite right, Miss Granger." Severus Snape, who had been a silent observer during the entire meeting, finally spoke up. "It would be a noble gesture for one of those young men to marry you, and it would be an even nobler thing when they martyred themselves trying to fight for you. Might I suggest, Headmaster, looking into someone with a little more power but a little less brains… the younger Malfoy, perhaps? Malfoy might be on his way to becoming a junior death eater but he does not hold enough power or enough cunning to use Miss Granger against Potter. And, contrary to popular belief, the Malfoy women are expected to act like royalty so they are treated like queens. She may not like what he stands for but he would never actually hurt her."

Sirius practically shook with rage. "We will NOT hand her over to a junior death eater so that those other fuckers can do whatever they want with her. You know how it works… when one gets a bride they all take a turn at her. I've heard the stories. Severus, I know you have not been a death eater for many years now, but I'm SURE you remember how it was. How dare you suggest we throw Hermione to the wolves?"

Severus sighed. "I merely suggested that there are other options besides Order members. Options that won't get anyone maimed or killed. And, yes, dog, I do remember how it was. Don't ever imply that I have forgotten."

"And with that being said, I think I have come up with the perfect solution." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled madly, and Hermione thought for a wild moment that he was going to propose to her himself. This, she admitted, would be a sight better than Draco Malfoy. "Hermione shall marry one of our members. She needs someone who is familiar with the dark arts, and who knows a bit about how Voldemort works. And who knows this better than Severus Snape?"

Protests rang from every corner of the room. Hermione screwed her face up in disgust, and was slightly offended, but not surprised, when she saw that her potions professor's face mirrored her own.

"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded, and Hermione was slightly reminded of her first year. She wondered at how a hush fell over the entire room. "This is my final decision. Severus, you shall marry Miss Granger. Tomorrow!"

And with a pop, Dumbledore disapperated from the room.


	2. Damn Dumbledore

Sleep was impossible that night. Hermione didn't bother getting into bed, knowing that she would just toss and turn. Her whole life had practically crumbled around her and the best solution her usually brilliant headmaster could come up with was "Marry Snape".

What rubbish!

It killed Hermione to know that Dumbledore expected her to do this for the sake of the order, and it also killed her that she was going to go through it, for the sake of the order.

If only she didn't love magic so much. She could return to her muggle parents and become a dentist. And look at people's teeth. Every day. All day long. For the rest of her life. No one would have to know that she knew a spell that would remove a cavity painlessly, or that she could brew a potion that would eliminate bad breath for up to 72 hours a dose. And given time, her magical abilities would probably disappear and she could just be normal. But, how could she go about being normal when she knew deep down that she was born to be special? And so, she gave up whatever notion she had to return to the muggle world, even if it meant she had to make some sacrifices.

Hermione chided herself for her lack of compassion. Snape was going to sacrifice as much as she was, maybe even more.

He was to have his life invaded by one of his most annoying little Gryffyndor students, and he wasn't even able to rid himself of her once the war was over. Wizarding marriages were for life. Sometimes even longer. Wizards lived extraordinarily long lives! Why, Dumbledore was 150, at least! Hermione couldn't imagine spending over 100 years with her surly potions professor. It would end in murder!

Hermione spent the rest of her last night as a single girl contemplating the number of fatal potions that her future husband could slip into her tea.

Severus Snape knew that trying to sleep that night would be futile. He would just toss and turn thinking of the next day's wedding to his annoying little Gryffindor student. Though, truth be told, it wasn't Miss Granger he was angry at.

Albus Dumbledore could take a flying leap off the Astronomy tower. Meddling old bastard! If it wasn't for that damned wizarding oath, he would tell his boss where to shove it. His requests had gotten so ridiculous lately that even the thought of his beloved Lily Evans wasn't enough to stop him from resenting the old man.

And how in Hell was he going to keep his spying secret from Miss Granger, and keep Miss Granger a secret from the Dark Lord? One false move and he could blow his cover and all of the work he had done over the years would have been for nothing.

Besides the obvious danger that the situation posed, there was the matter of the wedding night, and the three nights a week until she was with child. He was supposed to bed one of his seventeen year old students and try to produce a child with someone young enough to be his child. Bloody brilliant! As if he didn't attract enough stares in the halls, now the entire student body would think he was just an old pervert. And Merlin only knows what the students would say to his poor child-bride. She would have to experience what he had been through as an unpopular adolescent, and he could not wish that upon anyone. Severus didn't know who to feel sorrier for… Miss Granger or himself.


	3. Confrontation

Severus was not known for his patience, so it was no surprise to Albus Dumbledore that before the morning cock crowed his office was being bombarded by the irate potions professor.

"Good morning, Severus my boy. Care for a…"

"Do you know how much I despise you right now? You are damned lucky I waited a good while before I graced you with my presence. You wouldn't have survived. Now that I have calmed myself and can speak with a level head, I just want to know one thing… WHY? How could you think this is going to be ok? I have enough trouble keeping myself alive and now you want me to be bodyguard to the Granger girl? I might as well be the bloody babysitter for the entire Golden Trio!"

Albus walked towards his enraged colleague and put his hand on Severus's shoulder. "Now Severus, you know as well as I do that she does not need baby-sitting. She needs protection when it matters most."

"And I am to give it to her?" Severus sneered, jerking away from Albus and pacing across the room. "What am I supposed to do when the Dark Lord asks for her? There is no way he is not going to know that I have married her. His influence is all over the ministry. The moment we put our names to that marriage license, he is going to know that I have an all-access pass to Harry Potter's best friend. He is going to want her. How am I to refuse him? And furthermore, how am I going to live keep my spying a secret when I have a bloody roommate watching my every move? Sometimes I think you are truly losing your mind, Albus, if you haven't completely lost it already…"

Albus merely brushed his concerns off with "You'll figure it out. After all… you are the master spy. Think of it as your greatest challenge yet."

"A challenge? This is not a challenge. This is a test. You are testing me and I have no idea why. Have I failed you in some way? Have I made you feel that I cannot be trusted? I can think of no other reason for you putting me into this impossible situation."

Albus sighed. "No. I trust you with my life."

"Don't remind me." Severus held up his hands and turned away from the headmaster.

"Severus, I am not trying to punish you. You have been punished enough. I am simply trying to do what I know is best. You can protect her. You are the only one that can make sure she survives to see Voldemort's downfall. I do not pretend that it will be easy, but, it is necessary. If she dies, it will break Harry. It will break us all."

Severus sighed. "So is this the choice? A wife and children for the sake of the entire wizarding world? I had never considered a family. Not after… never mind. I will not be a good father. I don't know how. There was a reason I never went home for the holidays. My father was a bastard and my mother was too in love to care. "

"You are not your father, and Miss Granger is certainly not your mother. At any rate, you have a while before you have to make that kind of decision."

"Albus, the ministry has ordered that all couples have one child within a year after the marriage. They have even set a number of times a week for the couple to "try". Three times a week. I have to have sex with one of my students three times a week in order to make a baby. It's a bloody wonder we don't have our own personal ministry official to "observe"."

Albus chuckled. "No matter how much power the ministry seems to have, they cannot order you to have sex, nor can they order you to produce a child. They would _like _for all couples to have a child within the year but they simply cannot enforce it. The three times a week is merely a guideline to how much sex you should have in order to conceive. Of course, the marriage is not truly legal until you consummate it. If someone wants to put the two of you on trial and, um… "check for proof", then the ministry can declare your marriage null and void if the marriage is unconsummated. Think on that, Severus. I wouldn't put off the inevitable for too long."

"Trust me, Albus, too long is not long enough." Severus plopped himself into the stately headmaster's chair and leaned back, massaging his temples.

"Making yourself comfortable in the headmaster's quarters, are we? Albus chuckled brightly.

"Might as well, considering the post will be mine soon."

Albus's smile faded.

"Please reconsider, headmaster. There has to be another way…"

"There is no other way. You will keep the promise you made to me and you will keep the promise to Madame Malfoy. It may seem hopeless now, but you will see that it was the right decision in the end. Now, better get some rest. It is your last few hours as a happy bachelor. How are you going to spend them?"

"Asleep. Perhaps when I wake up, this nightmare will be over." And with that, Severus strolled out of the headmaster's office. 


End file.
